1. Introduction2. Unboxing and First Look3. Testing4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

We have seen a fair few keyboards from Cooler Master over the last year or so, and today the line-up is completed with the arrival of the MasterKeys S and MasterKeys L. Given these are not ‘MasterKeys Pro' boards, they are essentially a step-down from the Pro White LED series. Incidentally, they don't feature any kind of backlight – RGB or single-colour – and that is interesting given that RGB is everywhere these days. So, just how good are these keyboards?

The Cooler Master MasterKeys S and MasterKeys L are unashamedly simple, both in-terms of appearance and features. Clearly, these boards are aimed at those who just want a quality keyboard for typing or gaming without the extra frills and gimmicky features that many competitors may charge you extra for.

With that in-mind, the MasterKeys S has an MSRP of £79.99 while the bigger L model has an MSRP of £89.99. Is this good value, and should you buy one of these boards? Let's find out.

MasterKeys S Specification

• Material: Plastic / Metal
• Colour: Black
• LED Colour: N/A
• Polling Rate: 1000 Hz
• Repeat Rate: 1x / 2x / 4x / 8x
• Response Rate: 1ms
• MCU: 32bit ARM Cortex M0
• On board Memory: 512KB
• On-the-fly system: Macro, Repeat Rate, Win Lk
• Smart cable manager: 180 degree cable routing grooves
• Wrist rest: N/A
• Cable: 1.5m long,  USB 2.0 detachable with Micro-USB
• Product Dimensions: 356 * 135 * 33 mm
• Product Weight: (without cable) 970 g

MasterKeys L Specification

• Material: Plastic / Metal
• Colour: Black
• LED Colour: N/A
• Polling Rate: 1000 Hz
• Repeat Rate: 1x / 2x / 4x / 8x
• Response Rate: 1ms
• MCU: 32bit ARM Cortex M0
• On board Memory: 512KB
• On-the-fly system: Macro, Repeat Rate, Win Lk
• Smart cable manager: N/A
• Wrist rest: N/A
• Cable: 1.5m long,  USB 2.0 detachable with Micro-USB
• Product Dimensions: 440 * 137 * 28 mm
• Product Weight: (without cable) 1140 g

 

Both the Cooler Master MasterKeys S and MasterKeys L ship in very similar boxes – they are quite dark, while a very large product photo dominates the front of each box.

Inside, the bundle is the same no matter which model you buy: users receive a 1.5m USB cable, a quick-start guide, replacement red QWERASD keycaps and a keycap puller.

Coming to the keyboards themselves, both obviously look very similar – after all, they are essentially the same thing but the S model is TKL (ten-keyless) while the L model is full size.

There is nothing that shouts ‘gamer' about these boards, so they would fit in at the office just as well as they would on your desk at home.

Given the difference between the two models is size, the S model (pictured left) obviously lacks a numeric keypad while the L model keeps that numpad.

Both boards still include media keys as secondary functions on the INS, HOME and PAGEUP keys, though, which is good to see – even if they are not dedicated buttons.

Other common features are more secondary functions mapped to the F-keys. For example, F5-F8 includes multipliers for setting a repeat rate, while F9 also has a Windows-lock function. Lastly, F11 and F12 can be used to programme macros.

Prising off the keycaps reveals the Cherry MX switches below, and both of my press samples actually arrived with Green switches which are not too common. In the words of our Editor-in-Chief Allan, Greens are MX Blues ‘on steroids' as they have a really weighty 80g actuation force.

While we talk about switches on the next page, it is worth noting Cooler Master only brings boards with MX Browns to the UK.

Lastly, turning the keyboards over, we can see both have four anti-slip feet as well as the usual height-adjustment stands. However, the S model does have some grooves for cable management which is lacking on the L model.To test the MasterKeys S and L, I used both keyboards for a period of one week. During this time, I used them to play games, write reviews and for general desktop use as well.

Given both keyboards are software-free, I will start with build quality. This is usually a strong area for Cooler Master as I have previously reviewed a couple of their boards which are absolutely rock-solid. With these MasterKeys (non-Pro) boards, that trend definitely holds true here as both models are built like tanks. I did compare the new boards to the MasterKeys Pro S White LED model by flexing all 3 boards at their edges and there is perhaps just slightly more give to the newer models, but that could just be my imagination.

In any case, built quality is excellent thanks to the use of an internal metal frame, so I cannot imagine you will have issues with it breaking any time soon. In my opinion, this is definitely an area where Cooler Master has the edge over the competition.

One area where the new boards have actually improved on the MasterKeys Pro series, though, is the keycap material. Cooler Master has used PBT caps for the MasterKeys S and L, and these are widely regarded as being more durable and generally superior to ABS caps. They are not double-shot, but they should still last you a long time. They are also extra-thick at 1.5mm, too, and they definitely feel very rigid.

Elsewhere, the MasterKeys S and L boards do inherit a few other features that we have previously seen from MasterKeys Pro boards. For example, macro recording remains the same: users first need to press Fn+F11 to begin the process. Next, choose which key you wish to map the macro to, and then the macro can be recorded. Fn+Esc ends the process – so all-in-all, it is very easy to record a macro despite there being no software.

On-top of that, using the F5-F8 keys sets the repeat rate, and you can choose from 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x options. I would imagine this would be most useful for MOBA players, but it is not a function I use myself.

Now, let's talk about switches. My press sample arrived with Cherry MX Green switches, which are super-heavy and quite slow due to their 80g actuation force requirement. I did enjoy using them for typing (after a brief adjustment period) but these are clearly not gaming switches as they are just so slow and cumbersome. Would you believe Green switches actually make Blues feel fast!

The good news is the MasterKeys boards will come to the UK retail channel with MX Brown switches, which are much faster with a 45g actuation force requirement while they are also tactile but not ‘clicky'. I do think Cooler Master should bring a bigger variety of switches, though, as some people will probably want to use MX Reds or Blues, not just Browns.

Lastly, it is worth reiterating again that these two boards do not have a backlight of any kind. Personally, this does not bother me a huge amount (though I do prefer a backlight), but obviously it is up to you whether or not this is an issue.

Other than that, there is not too much to say. These are clearly simple mechanical keyboards designed to ‘just work' but still keep the quality feel we have come to expect from Cooler Master.All-in-all, Cooler Master's MasterKeys S and MasterKeys L keyboards are both high-quality products that do a lot of things right.

For one, they are built very well. They continue to use internal metal frames which gives them great rigidity, and at this price point they are certainly of higher quality than many other keyboards I have reviewed.

The design is also simple and understated and generally the keyboards look good. They are not overly exciting to look at but they are not meant to be – these keyboards are simply designed to work and offer high-quality mechanical switches, and they do that very well.

Speaking of the switches, my press sample arrived with MX Green switches but UK retail products will only come with MX Brown switches. I do wish Cooler Master brought a bigger variety of switches but there we have it.

So, all-in-all, the keyboards themselves are very capable entry-level products – perfect for those who are looking for their first mechanical board, or for the experienced user who wants to cut away all of the RGB lighting and other gimmicky features we see from competing manufacturers.

However, Cooler Master's pricing does not quite add-up, as the MasterKeys S will cost £79.99 while the bigger L model will set you back £89.99. This is particularly strange given that you can find the MasterKeys Pro L RGB for £89.86 currently, while the Pro S White LED keyboard can be found for £76.32 (correct at time of writing).

It is nothing against the MasterKeys S or L, but getting a MasterKeys Pro series model instead – for the same or less money – really is a no-brainer. I can 100% see what Cooler Master is trying to do with these new keyboards, they just need the pricing to drop a fair bit for them to be viable options. As it stands, they are very good entry-level boards without the entry-level price-tag to match.

That said, we did get in-touch with Cooler Master to raise our concerns. They mentioned to us that the prices given before the keyboards' launch were MSRPs, not actual retail prices, and they hope that the actual retail prices will be a bit lower once the keyboards reach the market channel. We hope that will be the case, as these keyboards are certainly decent, the price just needs to be right.

Both keyboards will be available from Overclockers UK soon. We will update the review with links when we have them.

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Pros

• Good build quality.
• Understated design.
• On-board macro and repeat-rate settings.
• Cherry MX switches.
• PBT keycaps.

Cons

• MSRPs are too high for what they are. Cooler Master's own MasterKeys Pro keyboards can be found for the same or less money.
• Cherry MX Brown switches only.

KitGuru says: Taken on their own, the MasterKeys S and L boards are high-quality products designed to be simple-yet-effective. However, they need a hefty price-cut to justify the slimmed-down feature set, as the MasterKeys Pro series of boards can currently be found for the same or less money.

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